Our View: Ask questions

expect answers

February 12, 2003|By Herald Times Editorial Board

The process in cutting the budget began with Supt. Carl Hilling's survey of the school's more than 400 employees on what might be done to reign in costs. The responses ranged from closing Elmira Elementary - by far one of the most controversial proposals and one which appears to be getting a lot of attention as a "big ticket item" which would save a total of $357,730 - to eliminating the Reading Recovery program, establishing a pay-to-play program and reducing all line items by 2 percent.

The process continues this week as Hilling conducts town hall meetings designed to inform parents and taxpayers of the realities of a $2.4-million deficit and the cuts a leadership team has proposed to repair the budget. Key to bringing the community together to weather this crisis is a belief that Hilling and the school board are not dictating without first considering public input.

In his presentations to Elmira parents last week and again to an audience filling the Gornick Auditorium Monday night, Hilling has been vague and shared few specifics with citizens anxious about the cuts.

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We have a few questions:

* Have we looked closely enough at how much the district's administrators, who earn $1,746,414, will share in the pain? It appears only one of the five administrators at the high school will be reduced to a part-time position, while the part-time principal's position would be eliminated if the Elmira closing comes to pass.

* Where does the balance come between athletics, extracurricular activities and academics? Is there room for the extras when there is talk of wiping out nearly all instructional aides at the same time - if the Elmira closing occurs - class sizes would grow at certain schools?

* Are we getting our bang for our buck when it comes to all personnel, or are we throwing away dollars on employees who do not perform?

These are only a sample of tough questions that need to be asked, and then answered.

We urge you to attend one of the town hall meetings (see p. A7) to ask questions, make suggestions and expect answers.